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NOTES FOR ACTRESSES: NAMI HAS IMMEDIATELY FALLEN FOR RYAN - BUT HE IS HER CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND’S EX-BOYFRIEND. RYAN IS UNAWARE OF HER ATTRACTION TO HIM. HE HAS COME TO OKINAWA TO LOOK FOR HIS EX (YUKI). FROM THEIR VERY FIRST MEETING NAMI WANTS TO KEEP HIM HERE IN OKINAWA - CLOSE TO HER........... RYAN MEETS WITH NAMI AT HER STUDIO TO TRY AND FIND CLUES AS TO WHERE YUKI MIGHT BE YEARS AFTER THEIR BREAKUP. ALL NAMI HAS ARE A FEW POSTCARDS FROM YUKI SENT YEARS AGO...

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INT. NAMI’S STUDIO. DAY. Ryan arrives at Nami’s studio. She makes tea as he wanders through her ceramics studying and admiring them. He is deeply impressed. RYAN Did you make these? All these? NAMI Yeah. They sit - she pours tea. RYAN How long have you been... NAMI Since I was little. My mum used to - she passed it down. RYAN Is it hard? NAMI Not anymore. I can show you... sometime... if you like. A pause. A long pause. Their eyes meet. RYAN Um... the postcards? NAMI Oh! ... yeah I’ll find them... She rummages through a box and brings out postcards from Yuki. NAMI This one is from 7 years ago... ’I found the sunshine in my winter...he’s a chef’ She slowly looks up at him.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(2)

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NAMI Is that you? He takes the card and reads it again to himself. Nami studies Ryan. He’s totally unkempt, dishevelled his wits end.

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NAMI (reading) ’Finally got my dream job but the cloud is back, it’s cold at home. Will be travelling awhile... lots of love, Yuki’ A pause. NAMI What was ’the cloud’? 4

EXT.OKINAWA MOTOR STOP. DAY. Nami and Ryan are at a motor stop. He tucks into taco rice and spam. He keeps shovelling food in his mouth to keep him from breaking down. NAMI What are you going to do? You can’t travel the world looking for her... You must have been a pretty good chef she wouldn’t settle for anything less... He wallows in the food. NAMI Are you really a chef? How can you eat that? RYAN I don’t cook anymore. She takes him by the hand and drags him off to:

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INT. OKINAWA RESTAURANT. EARLY EVENING. They’re seated opposite each other. RYAN Why are we here? Nami studies Ryan carefully. NAMI I can see what she saw in you... but if she saw you now... you need some medicine ... (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(2)

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Two bowls of Jimami tofu are placed on the table. NAMI ’nuchi gusui’... is Okinawan for ’life medicine’ our traditional food. He takes a bite - he’s really surprised. He takes another bite. Then another. RYAN What is this? It’s tofu but it’s not... NAMI It’s Jimami Tofu made with peanuts... A progression of dishes... he takes in every bite. The food reignites something in him. Ext. okinawan beach. night. Nami and Ryan walk on the beach by moonlight. RYAN I’ve never run from a restaurant before. In fact I wanted to meet the chef. NAMI NOOOO WAY! ... too many questions... PAUSE NAMI What will you do from here? RYAN (at his wits end) I don’t know ... you were my last hope... He gets teary... NAMI You know when I was learning diving ... it was so overwhelming all that water above you and no air... I would panic all the time. Then my instructor told me something so simple but it would take away all my fear: ’just look at the fish’ he would say ’just look at the fish’... Ryan smiles. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(3)

RYAN Thank you for tonight ... you’re right it was medicine. He walks off. Nami watches him leave. NAMI (UNDER HER BREATH) Sayonara...

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